Torque Concept versus Torque Measurement

On 8 Apr 2004 06:21:16 -0700, [email hidden] (Calvin Jones) may

have said:

There is also a difference between working on your own
bike, and working professionally on other peoples bikes.
Correct use of a torque wrench is one more way a shop can
stand fully behind its work.

This is true in more areas than just bike repair. In my
experience, the automotive mechanics who didn't use a torque
wrench in enough places also tended to be the ones who had
the most comebacks and customer complaints.

I stayed out of the other thread initially because it
seemed to me that advocating the *non*-use of a torque
wrench is a religious position, and as such, there was
little point in saying anything. The wise reader would see
the fallacy, and the unwise would likely only learn by
experience. However, the issue here really *is* experience,
and I eventually had to make the point (obliquely) that a
torque wrench is, in many respects, a tool to add
artificial judgement to the actions of the
inexperienced...and to provide repeatable results for the
experienced in conditions of fatigue or time pressure...and
to provide *accuracy* in places where organic measurement
may not be "good enough", few that those are on a bike.

--
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Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Calvin Jones
(This is a general reply to the topic as it began.)

There are different reasons for using a torque wrench. It
must be kept in mind, however, a torque wrench is only a
tool, and will not replace thinking. What a threaded
fastener (nut & bolt) needs is an adequate amount of
tension, which is simply not-too-little and not-too-much.
This can be achieved by a truing the thread either by hand
or by a torque wrench. A torque wrench is then a measuring
tool, much like a spoke tensiometer, a tape measure, a
caliper, or even a tablespoon or measuring cup for a cook.
You can make a great cake by grabbing hands full of flour
and pouring out the salt, but most people would not want to
purchase such a cake at their local grocery store. A torque
wrench, used correctly, makes a good mechanic better.
However, if basic knowledge is lacking, a torque wrench
will not act as "magic wand" making every component safe
and secure.

There is also a difference between working on your own bike,
and working professionally on other peoples bikes. Correct
use of a torque wrench is one more way a shop can stand
fully behind its work. A quick look at various bicycle
forums will show that the creaking bicycle is often an
issue, making lack of torque knowledge wide spread.

See also for threading and torque issues:
parktool.comthread.shtmlOpen ↗

parktool.comtorque.shtmlOpen ↗

I agree, except I think you meant turning not "truing" by hand.